Tag Archives: slash

One unsigned local band will score a great gig - opening for Slash - when the famed rock guitarist brings his tour to Nashville this fall.

Slash, a newly minted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has teamed with Guitar Center to handpick one unsigned band from each of the 20 cities his "Apocalyptic Love" tour will hit this fall - including Music City.

Interested bands can submit a music track at www.GCOnstage.com before June 30. The twenty bands handpicked by Slash will be announced in August and will open for the Slash tour date closest to their hometown.

Click to see a gallery of photos from Ozzy Osbourne and Slash's Bridgestone Arena concert (this image of Osbourne: Karen Kraft/The Tennessean).

It was a tale of two Ozzys at the outset of the rock icon's concert at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday night.

Before Ozzy Osbourne the heavy metal architect, Black Sabbath co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took the stage, we saw Ozzy the pop-culture personality, with a spoof video montage that digitally inserted the Prince of Darkness into scenes from Jersey Shore, Twilight and The Hangover. It was a lengthy presentation, designed to bring the Ozzy brand -- less visible since his Osbournes reality TV series ended six years ago -- up to speed.

But when the video ended and Ozzy excitedly shuffled onto the stage, we saw the side of the 62-year-old singer that's never needed an update.

"Let the madness begin!" Ozzy exclaimed as he and his band ripped into his 1983 song "Bark at the Moon." The music was more than enough -- his sneering wail remains in commendable shape, and new guitarist Gus G plays with surgical precision -- but Ozzy's one-of-a-kind persona and infectious enthusiasm were the heart of the show.Continue reading →

Do yourself a favor and try your best to wipe your memories of Super Bowl Sunday — which had Ozzy Osbourne shilling for Best Buy in a Tron-esque spacesuit with Justin Bieber, and Slash magically appearing at halftime to accompany Fergie on the worst rendition of “Sweet Child of Mine,” well, ever.

Instead, think back to “Paranoid,” “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train” — the original, not the swinging theme used for The Osbournes — and know that Ozzy’s in much better shape today than the mumbling, easily confused character seen on reality TV. Plus, his patented sneering vocals are the sort of gift that barely diminishes with age.

Speaking of aging gracefully — aside from some questionable choices in collaborators — Slash is looking, and sounding, remarkably like the same guy who welcomed us to the jungle in the ’80s and bid adieu to Axl nearly 15 years ago. Last year, he released his self-titled solo debut, featuring a number of his past and present bandmates.

Ozzy and Slash come to Nashville on Wednesday, Feb. 16 for a show at Bridgestone Arena (501 Broadway, 770-7825). It starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets run $35-$75.

"He didn't want to sing," the publication quotes Slash as saying. "He said I'll play drums, I'll play guitar, but I don't wanna sing. He was one guy that I wanted to work with. Pretty much everyone else that I went after I managed to get."